Scapes and Zukes

Summertime in Vermont! Hot. Humid. Humid Again. This means we want to eat light and not have to cook anything inside the house. We went to the Montpelier Farmer's Market in the morning and we picked up some zucchinis, green onions and garlic scapes. Garlic scapes are the green flower stalks of the garlic plant. Farmers cut them off so the plant's energy can be diverted to growing a larger bulb. They have a milder garlic flavor and are a tasty treat in their own right. I have only had them a few times as a salad garnish, so I decided to do something new and grill them.

What we have in Mom's fridge
-Homemade tabouli from Moosewood
-Zucchinis
-Garlic Scapes
-Fresh Goat Cheese from a neighbor who raises goats

The tabouli was round two of this salad. We made batch one to take to dinner at my brother and sister-in- law's house and it was so perfect on a hot day that we came home with an empty bowl. We doubled the recipe and added in fresh mint and parsley from neighbor's gardens. I think the fresh mint is far superior to the dried mint originally called for, it adds a bright note to the salad. The greens, onion bulbs and tops also made its way into round two.

Mom's Tabouli

The zucchinis are hollowed out into boats and put on the grill outside to gently grill and soften. The scapes don't need to be grilled long so they go onto the grill just for the last 10ish min.

Veggies on the grill

When they come off the grill, we fill the boats with the tabouli and top them with the fresh goat cheese and the scapes. The goat cheese is so fresh and mild almost like a farmers style cheese than a strong goat cheese. The creaminess is a nice contrast to the herb filled tabouli. The scapes taste like the fancy roasted garlic you get in restaurants! Grilling them brought out their sweetness and added a smokey touch that complements middle eastern flavors in this dish. I love garlic and these have taken it to a new level. I only wish I could get them all year round. Serving it all in a zucchini boat makes this an easy yet substantial dinner. 

Served with a slice of watermelon.